Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, P. R. China.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Jul 10;62(28):e202304219. doi: 10.1002/anie.202304219. Epub 2023 Jun 6.
The utilization of carbon resources stored in plastic polymers through chemical recycling and upcycling is a promising approach for mitigating plastic waste. However, most current methods for upcycling suffer from limited selectivity towards a specific valuable product, particularly when attempting full conversion of the plastic. We present a highly selective reaction route for transforming polylactic acid (PLA) into 1,2-propanediol utilizing a Zn-modified Cu catalyst. This reaction exhibits excellent reactivity (0.65 g g h ) and selectivity (99.5 %) towards 1,2-propanediol, and most importantly, can be performed in a solvent-free mode. Significantly, the overall solvent-free reaction is an atom-economical reaction with all the atoms in reactants (PLA and H ) fixed into the final product (1,2-propanediol), eliminating the need for a separation process. This method provides an innovative and economically viable solution for upgrading polyesters to produce high-purity products under mild conditions with optimal atom utilization.
通过化学回收和升级利用存储在塑料聚合物中的碳资源是缓解塑料废物的一种很有前途的方法。然而，目前大多数升级利用的方法对于特定有价值的产品的选择性有限，特别是在试图完全转化塑料时。我们提出了一种利用 Zn 改性的 Cu 催化剂将聚乳酸（PLA）转化为 1,2-丙二醇的高选择性反应途径。该反应对 1,2-丙二醇表现出优异的反应性（0.65g g h ）和选择性（99.5%），最重要的是，可以在无溶剂模式下进行。显著的是，整个无溶剂反应是一种原子经济性反应，反应物（PLA 和 H ）中的所有原子都固定在最终产物（1,2-丙二醇）中，不需要分离过程。该方法为将聚酯升级为在温和条件下生产高纯度产品提供了一种创新且经济可行的解决方案，实现了最佳原子利用率。
